Coordinator of Schools Football, Rowan “Porridge” Benjamin.

By Neto Baptiste

Under-20 Boys finalists in the Joma/Cool & Smooth sponsored Schools Football Competition, will have to wait at least another three weeks before they can meet on the big stage.

Princess Margaret School (PMS) and The Antigua and Barbuda Institute of Continuing Education (ABICE) were scheduled to clash in the final on December 20 at the historic Antigua Recreation Grounds (ARG) but the anticipated showdown has been moved to January 17.

Coordinator of Schools Football, Rowan “Porridge” Benjamin, said the decision was taken following a suggestion from principal of the PMS, Dr Colin Greene.

“Principal Greene would have drawn to my attention, the support in terms of the semifinals where the schools were struggling even to get players for the teams and so on. And even at ABICE, we were struggling a bit and it was his idea that maybe the best thing is that we play it within a school day. This way they could mobilize the students and have all the players on the compound and so on because it’s Christmas now and some of the guys have their little work and so on,” he said.

Benjamin, a former national football coach, said the delay also gives organizers ample time to better promote the game.

“It gives us enough time now to really promote the finals because the beneficiary here would be the schools … Normally we would give the schools a certain amount of tickets that they would sell and keep the proceeds. So with school out it would be very difficult for them to really do that,” he said.

The new date will put the final just one week following the popular One Nation concert at the same venue. Benjamin said he has had dialog with the organizers in an effort to avoid a repeat of what transpired last year where the field was left littered with broken bottles and other debris.

“The Friday will be one week after the One Nation concert and we would have had some dialog with the people who are in charge of that as to what we are doing. They are aware so we don’t run into the same problems we had last year with bottles on the ground and so on. They are going to be a little firm with the vendors and so on pertaining to that. It’s one day, it’s a Friday and I don’t think it would interfere with any of the school [sports],” Benjamin said.

Antigua State College (ASC) and All Saints Secondary School (ASSS) will clash in the third place match also slated for January 17.